Hamden police building work slowly progressing (video)

Published 12:00 am, Monday, August 20, 2012

Joe DeSanti, project executive for Diggs Construction, walks through the new auditorium at the new Hamden government center construction site. Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

Joe DeSanti, project executive for Diggs Construction, walks through the new auditorium at the new Hamden government center construction site. Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

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The front steps of the Town Hall at the new Hamden government center construction site. Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

The front steps of the Town Hall at the new Hamden government center construction site. Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

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The former annex building, left, will be demolished and replaced with a parking garage at new Hamden government center construction site. Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

The former annex building, left, will be demolished and replaced with a parking garage at new Hamden government center construction site. Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

Hamden police building work slowly progressing (video)

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HAMDEN -- It's possible that the old police buildings in the center of town, now even more dilapidated, will start to be torn down this week.

After a delay of more than a month, remediation work will start again on the old police buildings, according to Joseph DeSanti, project executive for Diggs Construction.

"The project is coming along at this point. A lot of the items are being coordinated," he said.

The town recently had to get another contractor to finish the remediation and tear down the 1950s buildings, according to Curt Balzano Leng, chief aide to Mayor Scott D. Jackson.

About six weeks ago, PCBs were found in the old buildings after an environmental review. SMI Inc. of Massachusetts, the company that received the original demolition contract, submitted a change-order price to complete the work that the town felt was too high, so the company received a termination letter.

Town officials sought a new contractor and Bestech Inc. of Ellington will be removing hazardous materials and taking down the buildings. DeSanti is hoping the work could start as early as Wednesday.

Bestech will be paid $184,000. The original demolition contract was $60,000; SMI said it could do the extra work for about $200,000, Leng said.

The police force moved into the new 40,000-square-foot addition to Memorial Town Hall in May.

The renovation of the town hall itself is moving forward, with work being done to the rotunda and work is close to finished in the renovated auditorium.

The $40 million project is on budget, but is about 10 months behind, Jackson said Monday. Substantial completion is expected in December.

"At the beginning of the project, no one was talking about PCBs, but now it's a big concern of the feds," Jackson said.

The granite steps in front of Town Hall had PCBs in their caulking and joints. As a result, the town had to figure out a removal plan. When the new steps finally came in, the joint lines didn't match, so they had to be sent back; the town won't be paying for that.

Once the old police buildings are down, a parking garage can start to be assembled in their place.

During the torrential downpour Aug. 10 and 11, rain filled the rear of the project, and water got into the sallyport and parts of the lower level of the police station. A temporary drain line wasn't constructed, DeSanti said, but flooding will be alleviated when the ground is leveled and the parking structure and storm drains are built.

Call Ann DeMatteo at 203-789-5716. Follow her on Twitter at AnnDDeMatteo.